Paravets baling cash from silage, one bag at a time

By CAROLINE WAMBUI

The roaring sound of a generator can be heard from a distance as the Seeds of Gold team manoeuvres its way to a farm in Ruiri, off the Meru-Maua highway.

As we approach the farm, one can pick out from a distance what looks like small white sacks in an open field, with a number of young men busy working with the help of machines.

The youth, who operate under the name Spen (K) Ltd, belong to a group that makes silage for dairy farmers, which they store in bags.

“Ours is a private extension company that offers services to dairy farmers,” Robert Murage, the director of the company that has been in operation since 2012, says.

Besides making silage, the young men aged between 30 and 36 and who have studied animal health and animal production, train farmers on dairy management, marketing, breeding and feed production.

“Twelve of us started the company after getting training from SNV, a Dutch organisation. Our aim was to train farmers on how to enhance their dairy farming through feeding, silage-making, milk hygiene and fodder preservation. Four left the group over time,” he says.

The eight members mainly preserve fodder for farmers at Sh1 per kilo as they train other youths in various counties about the job.

“We have done the job for years and mechanised our activities by buying a Sh1.8 million round silage baler machine from India this year.”

So why did they go for a mechanised process? “In dairy farming, quality fodder is key to maximising profits, thus many farmers want good feeds and for us, using machines means increased efficiency and income,” explains Timothy Mbugua, a group member.

Before starting to bale silage, the group ensures that the maize fodder is well-shredded; that is, both the pods and grains must be chopped into tiny pieces.

ADVANTAGES TO FARMERS

During baling, the shredder is put in such a way that it shreds the fodder directly into a machine that compresses and packs it into rolls of between 50 and 60kg.

The rolls are then wrapped using a whitish nylon paper, a process that takes a minute.

Upon being contracted, the group charges a mobilisation fee of Sh3 per kilo of silage made, which means one parts with Sh3,000 for a tonne, less labour.

“The machine has a capacity to make 10 tonnes of silage in eight hours. We also sell the baled fodder at Sh13 per kilo. In a good month, the group can make more than 200 tonnes of fodder,” says Murage, noting they have so far served more than 500 farmers.

Phillip Oketch, a dairy expert in Meru County with SNV, says buying already packed and baled silage comes with advantages to farmers as they don’t have to strain looking for maize, machine and people to package it.

“Farmers are also sure of the exact kilos and quality since the product is made by professionals. Besides, those who have small land sizes can access the feed,” he says.

According to Murage, the whole process, from cutting fodder to baling and wrapping, stacking and storing needs critical care to avoid spoilage and wastage.

“One needs to select high quality wrapping material for best protection during transportation and storage,” he says, noting that stored silage can last up to six months.

The group prefers working with farmers who have a minimum of three acres for economies of scale.

“We also bale fodder that has been ensiled, making it last longer. Poorly ensiled fodder can lead to huge losses as the nutritional value of the silage is reduced as one risks mould formation, which is dangerous to animals,” says Murage, adding silage preservation involves anaerobic fermentation, where oxygen is removed during the process of compaction.